I was undoing the buss bars when the wrench slipped out of my hand and stuck like a magnet between 2 modules... 2004 prius, i had a rubber mallet which i quickly used to knock it off. there was a spark and some hissing/popping. 1) is it safe to work on it or is a module likely to explode? 2) if not, when will it be? havent seen any explosions, ALL the other screws and bolts are off except the buss bar screws are only untightened. 3) i think i see a couple modules bending 4) in general, is there cause to think fire or some other thing might arise? I only had the number 3 module to replace now i suspect I have more. what to do? Gawd Im so effing dumb!!! i KNEW i SHOULD HAVE USED A DRILL!!!!
If it didn't explode when the short occurred, it's unlikely to explode when there's no current. Remove and dispose of swollen modules. This illustrates the need for proper PPE, for chemical, shock and flash hazard. My father used to say, There's no such thing as a smart accident. Glad you weren't hurt.
Make sure the battery is cool when you work on it. Otherwise it'll swell when you unclamp it. Take off all the bus bars first, that way it'll be safe to work on. Also if you're wearing a ring, take that off too
I never wear any jewelry wrenching after I saw a fellow mechanic working on a battery post with a wrench in his left had accidentally bridge the terminals with his wedding ring........that sucker got hot so fast that it was still steaming when we threw water on it immediately after the accident. We had to cut the ring with bolt cutters because his finger had swelled so badly, very painful to say the least. Definitely a bad mistake to make, don't do it.
It's a good idea to wrap up all the tools used in a battery pack with electrical tape. Does not affect there performance and may prevent you from getting hurt. Sometimes people get hurt worse reacting to electrical shorts than actually getting shocked. Like falling off ladders or falling backwards reacting from sparking. You have no control of involuntary reactions. Best not to create them.
